Shinobi no Mono
by caeseria
Summary: Kirigakure is a dangerous place at the best of times. During the Chuunin Exams, Iruka must fight not only to prove he's worthy to become a chuunin, but that he can survive his first experience with the Land of Water.


**Shinobi no Mono**

Chill water, almost freezing to the touch, drifted past Iruka's fingers as he held them in the fast-moving stream. His jaw tightened as the cold grew painful, steeling himself as he ducked his head, scooped the water into the palms of his hands, and splashed it onto his face. The effect was immediate: Iruka's senses awakened in a sudden, shocking rush which burnt away the last of his lethargy.

The Land of Mist did that to you – the pervading chill of nighttime, coupled with the damp, rising fog sapped the energy from your body incredibly quickly. Add to that the extreme, constant adrenaline of being hunted like prey by shinobi that knew the land far better than you did and you had a lethal combination that would tax even the most experienced ninja.

Unfortunately, Iruka wasn't experienced; he was a genin. Sure, he had completed more D-rank missions than he could count, and a number of C-ranks, but that was about it. At the age of sixteen, this was Iruka's first experience with the chuunin exam.

He'd spent last night in a tree, back pressed firmly to the rough bark, trying to ignore the dull throbbing of the wound in his arm – a souvenir from an unsuccessful encounter with two Lightning ninja. They'd attacked him, thinking him easy prey since he was alone. The thought hadn't crossed Iruka's mind that he could team up with another shinobi; during this second stage of the exam they were supposed to survive five days in the forest alone and arrive at the tower with a scroll. It was a tall order: there were, by his count, approximately one hundred genin, fighting to obtain one of sixteen precious scrolls.

The thought of those scrolls mocked Iruka through the long hours of the night as he fought off both the cold and damp and the gnawing hunger of his empty belly. To take his mind off his body's plight, he'd figured out the odds of getting a scroll (1 in approximately 6), the target range of a thrown kunai uphill in thirty kilometer-an-hour winds, (dependent on skill of said thrower, and possible use of a jutsu versus none), and whether or not it was possible to form an origami shuriken from eight pieces of paper (yes; provided you folded the ends over just-so so it didn't fall apart). Despite all that, it had still been one of the longest nights of his life. Sometime before dawn, just when his nerves were stretched to breaking point, Iruka noticed Hound.

Or rather, Hound allowed Iruka to observe him.

At first, Iruka wasn't sure if he was seeing things; the shadows in the tree across from Iruka seemed to lengthen and stretch, before pulling away from the tree and forming into the shape of a man – a man with the face of a grinning demon. Iruka's breath had caught in his throat, threatening to suffocate him. His grip on his kunai had tightened and his palms had become sweaty. He'd thought about breaking cover and running. Something had stopped him; maybe it was a deep-set belief that running would prove he wasn't worthy of one of those scrolls, or perhaps he didn't want to be a genin for the rest of his life. Still, he'd held his ground and waited for the demon to show itself properly. Iruka's hesitation paid off; the mist slipped away as the sun broke between two distant mountain-ranges, revealing the demon wore the face of a dog. _Konoha ANBU_, he realized with a sigh of relief when he recognized the uniform. The ANBU stayed still for mere moments before fading back into the background and disappearing from view, leaving Iruka alone once more.

Iruka blinked a couple of times, wondering if he had just imagined the whole thing. _Konoha ANBU here, in Mist?_ The more he had thought about it, the more it made sense. This was the first time Mist had participated in the chuunin exams since _that incident_ ten years ago; the one involving Momochi Zabuza and his graduating class. In a show of good faith, the other shinobi nations had agreed to let Mist host the exams. The presence of ANBU suggested that perhaps Konoha wasn't the only Country to distrust Mist enough to want to send added protection for their examinees.

Iruka had wondered who or what else was hiding in the forests and hills surrounding Kirigakure, watching silently.

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Kakashi hadn't intended to show himself to the genin sitting in the tree. His directive from the Hokage, along with his cell, was to observe from a distance and make sure that there was no outside interference from any of the other nations. Mist was a wild card. Intelligence had failed to dig up any pre-mediated plots that hinted they were intending to use the chuunin exams as a stepping off point for war, but the Sandaime wasn't convinced by Mist's show of collaboration and had (unofficially) sent an ANBU cell along to keep watch over Konoha's participants.

Kakashi had watched this genin for a couple of hours, and he looked exhausted. The kid was obviously unused to extended periods outdoors in inclement weather. Even Kakashi had to admit the damp mist was a bitch, but some things had to be endured just the same. It was part and parcel of any mission, along with hunger, injury and sleep deprivation. If this genin couldn't hack the exam conditions, then he had no right to lead a cell of men in the future.

Despite this, Kakashi was intrigued. The genin (Umino Iruka if his memory served him correctly from his mission briefing) was smart. He'd littered the ground around his tree with caltrops, and Kakashi could see at least three carefully placed exploding tags from where he sat. Judging by the layout of the tags, Umino had probably set up a time lag jutsu, designed to pull an unsuspecting shinobi into the area before the tags went off. That was a high-level jutsu, and many chuunin couldn't pull it off. _Impressive, _he admitted with grudging respect. Perhaps the kid wasn't as green as he'd thought.

Maybe he'd keep watch over him a little longer and see exactly what Umino Iruka could accomplish.

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Iruka finished washing his face and took a moment to re-tie his hair. He stood up, stretching muscles trembling from fatigue. _ I need to find a scroll, and soon, he thought. If I don't, I won't pass this second exam and make it to the finals. _Perhaps, like the genin he'd fought yesterday, he should attempt to team up with other Konoha ninja. Survival was the most important thing, or so his jounin-sensei had said. Survive, and then obtain your mission objective.

A rustling sound off to Iruka's right snapped him out of his thoughts. He dropped into a defensive position and pulled out a kunai, waiting for the attack to materialize.

It never came. Instead, a boy emerged from the cover of the tree line. He was tall, with ridiculous colored lavender hair, almond-shaped eyes and a pointed chin.

Mitarashi Kuri.

"What do you want?" Iruka let his gaze sweep over the boy in front of him. The boy grinned and held up his palms, showing they were empty of weapons. Iruka snorted. That meant nothing to a shinobi – it was easy to hide any number of weapons within easy reach.

Kuri stepped forward, hands still held upward. "Umino? You look like shit." The boy paused for a second, as if weighing up his options, or perhaps his words. "You got a scroll?"

"Maybe," Iruka hedged.

Kuri laughed. "Me neither. Fancy a time-out? I caught a rabbit yesterday. I could share it with you."

Iruka's stomach growled loudly, earning an amused look from Kuri. Kuri always looked amused, Iruka reflected bitterly. It seemed to be the boy's default expression.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kuri dropped his arms and sat down against a nearby tree, beckoning Iruka to join him. After a few moments, the thought of fresh food began to outweigh the negatives and Iruka joined him. He sat opposite Kuri, leaving his kunai in plain sight next to him.

Kuri began to unwrap a small leaf-wrapped package, which he had pulled from his pocket. It contained what was left of a cooked rabbit and Iruka's mouth began to water with anticipation. Kuri held out a leg of rabbit to Iruka, who took it gingerly. It occurred to him that it might be poisoned or laced with a sleeping drug and that perhaps he should forage for his own food, but Iruka craved both the company and the nourishment and decided to take the risk. If you couldn't trust a comrade from your own village, who could you trust?

"So," Kuri began, tilting his head to one side as he watched Iruka bite into the cold meat, "obviously you haven't had any luck either. I ran into a Rock nin yesterday. Rather not do that again."

Iruka swallowed and wiped his hand across his mouth. The rabbit tasted like ambrosia sent straight from the gods. "I came across two Lightning shinobi – working together. They left me alone once they realized I didn't have a scroll."

Kuri's eyes became round. "Wow. Lucky for you you didn't have a scroll. Who knew that would be a positive?"

"A positive for me, maybe," Iruka muttered.

"My older sister says you shouldn't give up. Ever."

"Your sister?" Iruka felt he should know the answer to this one, but right now his mind was fogged. He took another bite of the rabbit, feeling it start to settle in his stomach. He'd have to be careful not to eat too much, or risk his body rejecting the food.

"Anko. You know; purple hair, loud and obnoxious? Addicted to dango."

"Oh, her. She was a couple of years above me in the Academy." Iruka wiped his hands on his pants. White was such a stupid color to wear, he reflected. When he was a chuunin he'd change his outfit to something more… mission appropriate. "Isn't she a tokubetsu now?"

"Yeah, made jounin last year. Now she's insufferable." Kuri laughed. "So what about you? This can't be your first exam, you look too old for it."

Iruka took the leaf-wrapping from Kuri, bound the bones of the rabbit in it, and began to dig a hole with his hands. It wouldn't do to leave any trace of their presence for other shinobi to find. "It's my first exam. My jounin-sensei held me back, said I wasn't ready."

Iruka's will of fire ran deep, down to his bones, but he didn't know if ultimately he had the skills to succeed as a chuunin. At sixteen, he was still a genin. Kuri was what – thirteen, fourteen at most? What made him good enough to take the exams at his age? _Where have I failed?_ Iruka thought bitterly.

Iruka refused to look up at Kuri. He took Kuri's silence for one of surprise, and probably derision. "I had to watch from the sidelines as my teammates passed. Maybe I'm not cut out for this." _There, it's out in the open. I've said it._

"That's bullshit."

Shocked, Iruka looked up at Kuri. "Huh?"

"It's bull. Your team had Hayate and Jun in it, right? I heard your Jounin-sensei was a real stickler for talent. Wouldn't take on any team that he thought might fail. At least that's what Anko said once. She said she wished she'd had your sensei for a teacher."

"Really?"

Kuri snorted. "No, I'm lying. What do you think, Umino, I got anything better to do with my time than sit here and make you feel better?"

Iruka laughed. He was starting to feel a lot more alert and stronger now he had some solid food in his stomach. It was a powerful lesson in survival, he realized. Hadn't his sensei always drilled the importance of a proper meal into his students? The gruff old bastard had never explained why, but perhaps Iruka was supposed to figure that out for himself. He felt like an idiot.

Hadn't his sensei always said; _even a sheet of paper has two sides_. Perhaps he needed to revisit some of the things his sensei had drilled into his head and search for the hidden meanings. Perhaps, like Kuri thought, there was a reason his jounin-sensei had held him back? He'd drilled Iruka mercilessly over the last couple of years, kata after kata, until Iruka could complete them by rote with no conscious thought required. His instincts became sharp, honed like a sword. He'd had lessons in stealth, in intelligence gathering and infiltration. Medical lessons; how to hurt and kill, how to heal, how to combat specific poisons. Iruka had become a walking handbook for the shinobi way of life without even realizing it until now. It was like a small epiphany.

Perhaps he could do this after all.

"Well, well, isn't this cute? Two Konoha ladies sharing lunch and a bit of a gossip."

Iruka turned his head at the same time Kuri did. He heard Kuri curse under his breath and scramble to his feet. Iruka did the same, sweeping up the kunai he'd kept at his side.

Three Mist shinobi stood by the stream, watching them. All three radiated supreme confidence and looked fighting fit, which was more than Iruka could say for himself. The one that had spoken wore a feral grin on his face.

"We don't have a scroll," Iruka heard himself say. Kuri shot him a surprised look but kept silent.

"And?" The shortest of the three Mist shinobi shrugged. "We don't care. We just want to thin out the competition a little, and you ladies look like a sure bet for a good beating."

Iruka bristled with barely concealed rage. How dare they? What did they know of Konoha shinobi?

"Well, I suppose you've got nothing better to do, right, since you can't kill your comrades anymore."

Iruka gaped at Kuri. What the hell was he thinking? False bravado was going to get them killed, really fast.

"Those are fighting words, kid. Are you ready to back that up with your fists?"

Kuri began forming a series of hand seals, and Iruka recognized the sign for _Tora_ – tiger – common to most fire release techniques. Iruka palmed a couple of exploding tags and began to run straight toward the Mist nin.

_Iruka, you are ready to take the exams. I've taught you all I can; you must now stand on your own and prove your worth. Show the elders that you carry the will of fire with you. I'm proud of you._

Iruka's jounin-sensei's words echoed in his head as he ran. He'd ignored those words before, preferring to cling to his old patterns of thought. The old patterns that told him he was a failure, that he was worthless. He'd prove himself wrong, and in the process, prove his sensei right.

The world exploded in a ball of fire, and Iruka was still smiling.

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The ball of fire drew Kakashi's attention and he changed direction, heading toward the source. Whatever had caused that particular explosion was probably worthy of further exploration, and possibly as an addition to his growing collection of copied jutsu.

Kakashi wasn't surprised to find that Umino Iruka was involved. Umino seemed like a natural magnet for trouble. Kakashi settled into a nearby tree, out of the line of fire, and observed. It was not his job to intervene, unless foul play beyond the scope of the exam guidelines was involved.

For a sixteen year old, it seemed Iruka was pretty well versed when it came to text-book application of the shinobi arts. Kakashi had rarely seen anyone use the basics so efficiently, and coupled with some imaginative moves that turned those basics into a deadly art. His three opponents were larger and stronger, however. It was easy to see that despite Iruka's attempts to keep them at bay, the fight wasn't going to last long.

Iruka had somehow collected a teammate since Kakashi had last seen him. _Mitarashi_. Kakashi snorted. He didn't need sight to tell him that Iruka was fighting alongside Anko's younger brother. The imaginative cursing seemed to be a family trait, along with the Dragon Fire Technique. No need to copy that jutsu; he'd already borrowed it from Anko during training.

Iruka was keeping clear of the stream, and now Kakashi could see why. One of the Mist shinobi appeared to be trying to summon some kind of creeping mist, but Mitarashi was hounding him and he couldn't keep his concentration up. Iruka let fly with a couple of exploding tags, and Kakashi's mind, already a number of steps ahead, could see what had created that impressive fire ball from earlier – a lethal combination of both the fire technique and the tags.

One of the Mist nin was already down, his clothing half burnt away, along with his left arm. Iruka looked like he'd been caught at the edge of the earlier explosion as well; his clothing was ragged and burnt and his ponytail seemed to be shorter than before. Kakashi found he couldn't look away from Iruka; he was fascinating to watch. Every move he made used a minimum of energy, each strike found a home where Iruka intended it to. His body moved with grace and power. Iruka's jounin-sensei had been right to hold him back. He had obviously worked tirelessly to train Iruka's mind and body, to hone him into a deadly weapon. If Iruka made it to the finals by some strange turn of fate, the elders from the five countries would be impressed, of that Kakashi had no doubt.

Mitarashi Kuri fell to the ground; catching a kunai in the shoulder, followed by a number of shuriken. Kakashi knew what that felt like – they may be small weapons, but the result was always the same. Your body went into shock in an effort to protect itself, and only supreme willpower and training could keep an experienced shinobi moving after an attack like that. Kuri was not experienced enough to force his body to keep upright. He dropped to his knees beside the stream, panting with the effort to remain conscious through the pain, before falling to the side.

Iruka seemed to pause in shock and then he resumed his attacks with added ferocity against the two remaining Mist shinobi. The taller of the two had misjudged Iruka completely it seemed; viewing his text book presentation of the shinobi arts as a weakness. Kakashi was only nineteen, but he had enough experience to know that those arts were what kept you alive. There comes a point in any fight where a person must rely on the basics, to fall back on early, learned experience to get through. Complicated jutsu eventually becomes a hindrance when your strength is failing. And not everyone had the ability to create multiple clones to test an opponent's skills before entering a fight.

Iruka was clearly herding the Mist shinobi backward, toward a specific area. Kakashi scanned the area with his sharingan. He smiled: Iruka was living up to expectations. The Mist shinobi discovered the hard way that the ground was riddled with caltrops. Iruka hadn't removed them from the base of the tree he'd slept in last night. A matter of seconds later and there was an explosion. Apparently he hadn't cancelled out the time-release jutsu on the exploding tags, either.

The explosion and removal of his teammate from the fight seemed to spur the remaining Mist ninja into a rage. He harried Iruka backward with a barrage of shuriken and senbon, clearly attempting to hit one of Iruka's vital spots and take him down. Iruka seemed determined to fight on, despite his wounds. Eventually, even Iruka couldn't remain standing, and he dropped to the ground, rolling onto his back as the Mist ninja came toward him, kunai in hand.

It took a second for Kakashi to realize he had tensed up, caught up in the battle below. His body was on full alert and he forced himself to calm down, to dampen the killing intent that had risen. It wouldn't do for an enemy shinobi to notice him, or the Land of Water might call a foul. _When did I become so wrapped up in Umino's fate?_ he asked himself. _Why does this matter so much to me?_ Kakashi shoved the thought away, reluctant to examine his motives for the time being. Instead, he focused on the end game which was apparently very close.

The Mist shinobi leaned over Iruka's body, kunai in his hand. It was clear to Kakashi the man was going in for the kill, simply by the way he was holding his weapon.

Iruka surprised both Kakashi and the Mist shinobi. Crouched next to Iruka, the man clearly hadn't considered Iruka might be faking it. He gripped Iruka's hair and pulled his head forward, intending to cut Iruka's throat. Iruka used the momentum of the man pulling his head forward to disguise his body's movements, surging upward with kunai in hand, driving it into the man's shoulder with all his remaining strength. The shinobi's arm went limp and the kunai fell from his fingers. Iruka pushed the man to the side, rolling over until he was straddling him. His fingers scrabbled on the dirt beside them, until Iruka located a rock. Without hesitation he brought it down on the man's temple. The shinobi was unconscious in moments, and would no doubt have one hell of a headache when he woke up, Kakashi surmised from personal experience.

Kakashi watched Iruka as he backed off from the Mist ninja and fell to his bottom on the ground. Kakashi could hear Iruka's panting gasps for breath, could see the dawning realization that he'd actually won.

And then Iruka looked straight at him. Iruka was dirty, his hair was a tangled mess just brushing against his shoulders, and he was clearly exhausted. A thrill of desire shot through Kakashi, blindsiding him with the realization. For the first time Kakashi could remember, he was dumbfounded by his body's own reaction.

Kakashi managed to pull off some kind of vague hand wave that he hoped look cool (screw you, Gai), and vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving Iruka to his victory on the field of battle.

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As soon as Hound had vanished (Iruka wanted to know how Hound did that, he made it look cool), he stood up and pulled out the few remaining shuriken from his legs and torso. His whole body was trembling with both fatigue and adrenaline. The first order of business was to check on Kuri, and then get the hell out of the area before any of the Mist bastards came around, although Iruka didn't hold out much hope for the one caught in the initial explosion.

As he walked toward the stream, a detached part of Iruka's mind wondered about his lack of empathy for the Mist shinobi. Of course, when someone has done their very best to kill you, it was hard to feel anything for that person, other than relief that they were incapacitated. Nothing had really prepared Iruka for this scenario, and now he could see why his jounin-sensei had trained him so hard, pushed him so far before deeming him ready for the exams. The chuunin exams changed you; it opened your eyes to the reality of being a shinobi. No number of D-ranked missions could prepare you for that, he understood now. His sensei might very well have saved Iruka's life by refusing to put him forward before now.

Iruka knelt beside Kuri and rolled him over onto his back. Kuri groaned and cracked open an eye. "Is it over yet?"

"Can you walk?" Iruka asked. "I can heal that for you." He pointed to the wound in Kuri's shoulder.

"That would be… appreciated, thanks." Kuri sat up with a wince, gingerly placing his hand over his shoulder.

"Wow, when did you learn manners?" Iruka said with a tired laugh.

"I only get polite when I'm injured. It won't last long. Hey, are you sure you've got the energy to heal me? You look pretty beat up yourself."

Iruka nodded. He rested his hands on his thighs and fought for the energy to speak. He felt like his words were starting to slur with the exhaustion. "Give me a second."

He gathered his strength – what was left, anyway – and put his training to good use. His hands glowed with healing blue chakra that began to sputter and fade after mere moments. "I'm sorry," Iruka explained, "That's about all I've got left."

Kuri nodded. "There's an old tree not far from here. I spent last night hiding in the hollow under its roots. We could barricade ourselves in and get some rest."

"Good idea." Iruka stumbled to his feet and stared at the carnage surrounding them. He couldn't believe he'd been a part of the fight, and had contributed to some of the damage.

"We should see if any of these bastards have a scroll first." Kuri began to search the body of the shinobi nearest to him. He held his injured shoulder stiffly, but that didn't stop him searching through the shinobi's clothing. With a nod, Iruka set out to do the same.

They found two scrolls on the Mist shinobi. Iruka silently thought they were idiots. Who would purposely pick a fight when your goal had been achieved? Still, that meant that there would be fewer finalists in the last match for Iruka to face off against – providing both he and Kuri made it to the tower in the foothills without losing their newly acquired scrolls.

Iruka ducked under Kuri's non-injured arm and wrapped an arm around his waist for support. "Let's find that tree, shall we?"

Sleep had never seemed so enticing before.

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In retrospect, Iruka was glad that they'd gone to ground in Kuri's tree hollow. If they'd pushed on, as Iruka had first intended, neither one of them would have been able to defend themselves against other shinobi searching for scrolls. He felt so much better now; most of the small wounds from the shuriken and senbon had closed over, although the dried blood tore at his clothing and skin in an uncomfortable fashion. He'd had enough energy to heal Kuri's shoulder a little better and in return, Kuri had shared the last of his cold rabbit which had miraculously survived the fight. He'd even managed to wash up, surprised when Kuri pointed out the small stream that flowed close by.

Unfortunately, Iruka's hair hadn't survived the whole experience unscathed. It was about four inches shorter, and no amount of coaxing could make it fit back into a ponytail – there simply wasn't enough left at the back. Still, that was the least of his worries.

The rush to reach the tower before engaging in another fight was a blur. They'd employed every trick in the book to remain undetected, going so far as to backtrack to cover their path. Stealth was more important than speed at this point; there was still over twenty-fours left on the clock according to Iruka's calculations, so rushing wasn't necessary – yet. Their teamwork became tighter as the hours passed and the tower became visible on the horizon.

The tower was a welcoming sight; tall and beautifully designed. It nestled in the foothills of two mountains, made of undressed stone. They paused on the steps before two large doors, carved with the shinobi symbol.

"This is it, I guess?" Kuri turned to face Iruka. "Which way will you go?"

Iruka paused. "Left I think. You?"

"I'll take the right door. See you in the finals, Umino. Don't get yourself killed."

Iruka snorted. "Don't get into trouble, Kuri. Keep your mouth shut in front of those bigger ninja."

"Will do." Kuri flashed a wide grin and pushed open the door, disappearing inside.

Iruka stared at the door in front of him, pausing for a moment. He wondered what had happened to Hound, and if he would see him again. Iruka was surprised to find he was hopeful that that was the case, despite only having seen the man twice. Something about Hound fascinated Iruka, drew him in. Every time he thought of Hound, warmth spread throughout his body, his breath came fast with excitement and his heart beat quickened.

Shaking off his thoughts, Iruka squared his shoulders and pushed the door open, wondering what he would find inside.

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He hadn't expected to find an empty room. Iruka took a moment to pause and waited. He began to look around the room as his eyes adjusted to the dim interior. _I'm half expecting an ambush_, he admitted to himself. Adrenaline surged through his body, putting his senses on full alert.

On the far wall, there was a large plaque, covered with writing. Iruka stepped carefully toward it, waiting for the trap to spring. When nothing happened, he took a moment to read the words:

I am invisible within the mist; my body flows like water,  
I move amongst the clouds; I strike like lightning,  
My feet are firm on the earth; my will is like rock,  
My mind shifts like the sand; I am swift as the wind,  
I twist like a leaf; every strike I make is akin to fire,

_Shinobi no mono_; I am one who endures.

I am ninja.

"_Shinobi no mono_," Iruka breathed the words. He understood those words; had he not endured? Iruka felt a deep sense of peace wash through him. He was part of a brotherhood now and the words sang in his mind, immediately committed to memory.

"Stand down, shinobi."

"Huh?" Iruka whirled around, kunai in hand.

"I could feel your killing intent from the next level, shinobi. Let it go. You are safe here." The man standing before Iruka was one of the exam proctors; Iruka remembered him from the first exam.

Slowly Iruka relaxed, letting out a deep, calming breath. The man had referred to him as _shinobi_. It was the first time someone had gifted Iruka with the title, and for some reason that made Iruka's heart sing.

"You have your scroll?"

Iruka nodded and rummaged around, pulling out the scroll. He gave it to the proctor, who checked it over and then handed it back. "Congratulations, you've passed the second stage of the exam. Proceed to one of the waiting rooms on the forth level to receive your next instructions."

"Thank you." Iruka bowed deeply. He felt all the myriad wounds he'd received pull and tug against his skin. It was a sobering reminder of how close he'd come to dying.

When Iruka looked up, the proctor was gone. _Probably used the same jutsu as Hound,_ he thought enviously. He climbed the stairs slowly, the muscles in his legs complaining the whole way. He didn't care; he had passed the exam, and a few minor wounds and aches weren't going to stop him from following his orders.

At the top of the stairs he was confronted with a single door, which he pushed open. The room was bathed in the weak sunlight of late evening, making the place glow with golden light. The room was empty, except for a single desk and chair pushed neatly under it.

And Hound.

Iruka froze.

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Kakashi watched Iruka's reactions. Clearly he hadn't been expecting Kakashi's ANBU persona to greet him. He observed as Iruka's face registered myriad expressions as he tried to work through his surprise. It was fascinating and Kakashi felt his interest pique even further.

It was a few seconds before Iruka remembered to breathe, much to Kakashi's amusement.

"ANBU-san," Iruka said, sketching a quick bow.

When Kakashi didn't respond, Iruka looked up. Iruka was flushed with embarrassment and… something else. Iruka's sidelong glance held the promise of desire within it before he dropped his eyes back to the ground.

Kakashi's plans changed in an instant. He had wanted to greet Iruka merely because he interested him, but that one look had fanned something in Kakashi, something he'd felt earlier when he'd watched Iruka after the fight. _Lust_. Desire; whatever you wanted to label it. The whole room seemed suddenly charged with it.

Iruka rose from his obeisance and closed the door. He flashed a quick, unsure glance over his shoulder at Kakashi. Kakashi knew then that Iruka felt the tension in the room, but was choosing to either ignore it, or put himself into Kakashi's hands. Either very brave or very stupid. Kakashi thought probably the former rather than the latter.

He watched as Iruka crossed the room, only a small amount of hesitance in his step. Most people wouldn't have noticed it, but Kakashi wasn't most people. He'd been observing people for years – it was a necessity in his line of work. Iruka paused a couple of steps away and waited.

"What – "

"Congratulations," Kakashi said. He grinned under the mask.

"Thank you." Iruka looked at Kakashi's mask and then away again. "ANBU-san, I was told to wait here for instructions."

Kakashi uncrossed his arms and stood to his full height. Iruka's gaze followed his movements. _I want you on your hands and knees, on the floor_, was what Kakashi wanted to give in the form of 'instruction'. Instead, he said, "You have your scroll?"

Iruka nodded and presented his scroll. A quick check to make sure it was legitimate and Kakashi handed it back. "Good. You are to present yourself in one month to the main arena for the final exam, where you will fight in a tournament to determine the ultimate winner. You may train with your jounin-sensei in the meantime, to hone your shinobi skills. Any questions?"

Iruka shook his head then paused again. He seemed a lot less decisive outside of battle situations, Kakashi noted.

"Just one question, ANBU-san."

Kakashi nodded. He fought the urge to cross over to Iruka and touch him. Iruka had a smooth, seductive voice that was surprising for his age. Kakashi wondered if Iruka realized that and if Iruka would ever learn to use it to his advantage.

"Why are you here? I would have thought that ANBU were supposed to stay out of sight."

_Clever genin_, Kakashi thought. "I was curious," he replied.

"Curious, ANBU-san?" Iruka reached up and scratched his scar. It appeared to be a familiar gesture, perhaps one that Iruka made when nervous. He was blushing again.

"I watched you fight, it was impressive. I wanted to meet you."

"Meet _me_? Why?"

Kakashi didn't resist his body's movements this time. He stepped close to Iruka, raised his hand to Iruka's cheek and lightly caressed his skin. Iruka, for his part, didn't step back but rather leaned into the touch in an unconscious gesture. Kakashi's heart beat faster, knowing he had Iruka. Iruka was engaged whether he realized it or not. Kakashi would just have to make him understand that.

"Your hair is shorter," Kakashi said. Even through the gloves, he could feel the shorter strands of Iruka's hair at the nape of his neck.

"I set it on fire by mistake," Iruka said with a breathless laugh.

That laugh was what finally undid Kakashi. A quick glance around the room told Kakashi the sun had set during their conversation, throwing the room into shadow. Kakashi broke his first rule by taking off his mask, and his second by leaning in and kissing Iruka.

Iruka's breath caught with surprise but Kakashi pressed forward, committed now. He bussed his lips against Iruka's gently, placing careful kisses against his lower lip, until Iruka responded hesitantly. _Virgin_, his mind helpfully supplied, and that made Kakashi groan roughly. When Iruka parted his lips, Kakashi deepened the kiss, leading by example. Iruka's hands rested on Kakashi's biceps, his nails catching against the fabric of Kakashi's gloves. Iruka was a quick study, following Kakashi's lead. Kakashi closed the last couple of inches distance between their bodies, winding one arm around Iruka's waist and the other around the nape of Iruka's neck, his thumb caressing Iruka's skin just below his ear.

Iruka let out a soft gasp as their bodies connected, and Kakashi could feel Iruka's erection pressing against his hip. He shifted slightly, bringing their bodies into alignment; cock to cock. Iruka's hips rocked forward and he exhaled shakily at the sensation, his fingers digging into Kakashi's biceps.

Kakashi wanted nothing better than to bend Iruka's pliant, muscled body over the desk and fuck him until they were both screaming. That, however, was clearly a bad idea since it appeared Iruka had zero experience to fall back on. Instead, Kakashi began to turn them around, never breaking the kiss. Carefully, he steered Iruka toward the desk, until Iruka was backed against it. His hands had gravitated to Kakashi's ass by now, pulling and kneading at the fabric in an unconscious, but curiously sweet, way. Kakashi's dick throbbed with the need to get off, to rut against this pliant, young body.

Kakashi made himself break off the kiss. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. Things were starting to move faster than Kakashi would have liked, but then again, Kakashi was always adaptable to change.

"Yes, it's what I want." Iruka's voice was husky, lower than usual. Kakashi reckoned he could come alone just by listening to the tone of Iruka's voice. "ANBU-san, please."

_Fuck_. Kakashi's was well and truly screwed now. Iruka's hands fumbled at the opening of his pants, even as he stood there trying to get himself under control. And then it hit him; Iruka was nervous.

"Stop, Iruka." Kakashi took hold of Iruka's hands, cradling them with more care than anything he'd touched in recent years. "Slow down, it's okay."

He watched Iruka take a deep, shuddering breath and then nod. "I'm fine, really."

Kakashi let out a breathy laugh. "Okay, take it slow. Treat it like a mission. Your opponent has no idea how skilled you are. Bullshit your way through it."

"I think you have some idea," Iruka replied with a suspicious look that turned into a smile.

"Doesn't mean I'm going to hold it against you; I want this as much as you." He stepped between Iruka's thighs and leaned in again, starting off with a slow kiss, seeing if Iruka was going to back out; giving him the option. Instead, Iruka wound his arms around Kakashi's waist and put his newly acquired skills to good use.

Kakashi set a slow rhythm, his hips rocking in time with Iruka's while he let Iruka explore. Iruka was a thorough learner, preferring to explore every new sensation, returning to what he liked to experience it again. His investigation became bolder, sliding his hands under the waistband of Kakashi's pants, moving down over Kakashi's ass. Kakashi held Iruka close and let him do whatever he wanted; only breaking off to press open-mouthed kisses along the line of Iruka's neck. He pushed up Iruka's ragged shirt and caressed his skin, down across the line of his ribs to those sharp hipbones. Iruka was ticklish, and he squirmed delightfully in Kakashi's arms, letting out a breathless giggle at the repeated stimulation. When Kakashi moved his hands to the opening of Iruka's pants, Iruka tilted his head back and moaned.

"Please, ANBU-san."

Those words nearly destroyed Kakashi's control. He wanted to give Iruka his real name, hear Iruka moan the words, but he couldn't break his cover while in uniform. Instead, Kakashi undid the fastenings of Iruka's pants and slipped his hand inside, wrapping his fingers around Iruka's leaking cock. Iruka's hips bucked violently at the new sensations.

"_Fuck_."

It was the first time Kakashi had heard Iruka swear. In response, he gave Iruka's cock a sharp stroke and swirled his thumb around the head, listening to Iruka mutter further profanity, even as his hips moved in an instinctive rhythm, thrusting into Kakashi's fist. Iruka initiated the next kiss, his tongue pushing into Kakashi's mouth, taking control. His fingers found the buttons on Kakashi's uniform pants and Iruka began to copy his movements, stroking his cock. There was a lot less finesse involved, but damn, it felt good.

Kakashi pulled Iruka closer and pushed Iruka's pants further down on his hips. "You'll like this," he said. He took both their cocks and pressed them together, wrapping Iruka's fist around them. He placed his hand over Iruka's and rocked forward into their combined grip. Iruka hissed at the sensation, and his body shook with fine tremors. "Slowly," Kakashi warned. "It feels better this way."

Kakashi thrust slowly, feeling his erection slide against Iruka's, sending a whole new set of sensations down his cock, contrary to the feeling of the tight grip around him. Iruka did the same, a split-second behind Kakashi. Heat trickled down Kakashi's spine and he could feel his balls start to tighten, the incredible feeling of pleasure building until it was almost painful. He panted into Iruka's mouth, barely kissing now, just exchanging breaths.

Iruka was the first to come; inexperience winning out over pleasure. The feel of Iruka's come over Kakashi's fingers was too much, and he squeezed his eyes closed as he came, feeling Iruka's body shaking even as his was. Kakashi gentled his grip, managed to keep it together long enough to stroke them through orgasm, wanting to finish Iruka off properly.

Still gasping for breath, Iruka slumped against Kakashi, utterly spent.

"Are you awake?" Kakashi asked after a moment.

There was a grumble from the vicinity of Kakashi's flak jacket, something that was barely translatable as "Mostly."

Kakashi pushed Iruka upright and buttoned up their pants. Unfortunately, there was nothing to wipe them down with, so Kakashi said to hell with it and just tucked Iruka back in. It didn't look like he cared much, anyway; obviously the last few days had finally caught up with Iruka. "Want me to get you to the genin quarters?"

Iruka shook his head and blinked owlishly. "No, I should probably walk. It might do me good."

Kakashi nodded. He gave Iruka a final, long, searching kiss and then stepped away, donning his mask. "Perhaps I'll see you around? Good luck with the finals, Iruka-san."

Iruka nodded again and stood up. "Thank you. For everything, ANBU-san."

Kakashi wanted to stay. He wanted to walk with Iruka, talk to him. He was getting too close, he realized. Iruka did that to a person. With that in mind, Kakashi performed his jutsu and vanished from sight.

xxxxxxxxXXXxxxxxxxx

Six weeks later, Iruka was finally back in Konoha and back to his regular routine, but with one exception. He was now a chuunin.

He'd been home about two hours, and had yet to take off his chuunin vest. The truth was, he was proud of what he'd done. Proud enough to not want to remove the new badge of his success, not quite yet. So he'd puttered about his apartment, still in the vest, putting things away. Making sure he had a bag packed, in case he was called out suddenly on a mission. Putting his other things away, back in their rightful place where they belonged.

Still, one thing was out of place. _Hound_. That experience in the tower… Iruka still couldn't quite believe it had happened. He knew it had; he'd sported a rather violent looking mark on his neck for four days after that encounter. It had been tender for a long time afterward, but Iruka refused to heal it, preferring to keep it as a reminder, another experience amongst all the others from his time in Mist.

He hadn't seen Hound since that night. Perhaps the man was ashamed of his actions, or perhaps simply not interested. Shinobi were busy people, and ANBU were supposed to remain invisible. Still, it stung just a little bit.

Iruka reached the bottom of his pack and pulled out the scroll from the second exam. Hound had not reclaimed it, so Iruka had kept it as a souvenir – both of the exam, and if he was admitting truths to himself, of their encounter. He'd not actually looked at the scroll at all during the last six weeks, and now he unrolled it, wondering if it contained anything of interest.

Iruka let out a bark of laughter. There was a short note inside and it read, _'Drinks sometime?_' with a small picture of a dog in the corner. Perhaps Hound wasn't as disinterested as Iruka had thought, and the idea of Hound sneaking into his room during the exams in order to pen him an invitation was amusing.

Curious, Iruka unrolled the scroll further, and discovered a series of spidery lines of handwriting which formed a circle. Within the circle was the kanji for 'human'. Iruka furrowed his brow in confusion. He wracked his brain; just what the hell did that mean? A distant lesson in jutsu suddenly formed in his head… this was a summoning jutsu. _Maybe…? _No, Hound wasn't that obvious – was he?

Iruka placed the scroll on the bed, bit his thumb, formed the seals, and slammed his hand down on the symbol. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

There was a large puff of white smoke. Choking on the smoke, Iruka waved his hands around, trying to dispel it. After a moment, Iruka was able to make out a shape on the bed.

"Took you long enough to figure that out," drawled a sexy, deep voice, laced with amusement. "I was starting to despair of your level of intelligence, Iruka-kun."

"Hound?"

Hound lay on his bed, clad in a pair of black sleep pants and not much else. His legs were crossed at the ankle, and he had a rather lurid-looking book held to his face. All Iruka could see was a great deal of muscled, pale skin and a pair of mismatched eyes above the book.

"Kakashi, actually."

"Sorry?"

"Kakashi." He rolled his eyes. "It's my name."

"You don't say." Iruka grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"I see you passed the finals, chuunin-san." Kakashi nodded at Iruka's new flak jacket. "Haven't taken it off yet?"

Iruka looked down and then back at Kakashi, trying to focus on his face and not his body, or his growing erection. "Er, no, actually."

"Want some help removing that?" Kakashi threw his book to one side and lunged for Iruka.

Fin ;)


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